Exercise and Weight Loss: How important is exercise, and do you need extra calories to sustain it?

When it comes to exercise and weight loss, exercise is not nearly as important as a change of diet and patterns of eating. While exercise does burn calories, most people will not see any significant weight loss if they do not change their eating habits, unless of course the exercise becomes something exorbitant and exceeds three to four hours per day - - which is very difficult for most people. Many times people will start exercising and then feel that they can have earned the ability to eat more or reward themselves, and as a result they often eat more than they burned during their walk or workout. When I see a new patient who is not eating right nor exercising, I will encourage him or her to start with a diet adjustment. That often takes some planning and getting used to, especially since many people are not used to having three meals and two snacks per day. Once they are comfortable with the meal plan, I recommend that exercise be added in, because exercise is very important for the long term maintenance of weight loss.

If you are currently exercising and have a routine that works well with your life, my recommendation is definitely to continue it as you start dieting. The protein and calories provided by BistroMD meals is adequate for most people, unless you are engaging in very heavy exercise, such as spinning for more than one hour or outdoor cycling for more than two hours or long distance running. With this kind of exercise, the addition of some quality protein and carbohydrate-containing snacks - - like nonfat Greek yogurt or reduced fat cheese and some fruit - - should be added.

Adding exercise will likely speed up your rate of weight loss; however, it is important to ensure that all meals and snacks are eaten to avoid the loss of lean muscle tissue.

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This website is only for the purpose of providing information and should not be substituted for the advice of your doctor.
Please consult with your doctor before starting any weight loss program or supplement.